Motor boats utilizing powerful inboard or outboard engines generally lack the capability to slowly move or troll through waters. This inability to travel at a slow, steady speed causes great difficulties in navigating the boat into a dock space. Also, these powerful motor boats are not ideal for fishing because the boat travels at a speed that causes too great a disturbance through the water and drags bait through the water too fast. Additionally, for all single engine motor boats there is the distinct possibility of being stranded out on the water far from shore without another mechanical mode of propulsion. Generally, these motor boats are not designed to be manually rowed or paddled to shore.
Some motor boats have a low horsepower auxiliary motor mounted to the transom to provide slow trolling speeds not attainable by the main motor and as an emergency backup to the main motor. Generally, the auxiliary motor is secured to the side of the transom or on the rear deck of the boat. The engine portion of the auxiliary motor extends above the deck and has a long shaft downwardly extending into the water and generally below the hull of the boat. When the auxiliary motor is not in use, this shaft impedes the steering of the boat by causing an off-center drag on the boat and thereby pulling the boat in one direction. To prevent this, the auxiliary motor must be tilted into the passenger area, reducing the seating area of the boat. When the auxiliary motor is utilized, it must be steered from the rear of the boat by manually gripping and moving an extension arm attached to the auxiliary motor. The boat operator's view from this position is limited and generally obstructed by the front portion of the boat and by other passengers. This causes a potentially serious safety hazard.